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MOST drivers believe hubcaps are purely aesthetic, but they serve an important purpose.

While hubcaps are not essential to your cars operation, they do play a role in the appearance of your car and your fuel consumption.

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Hubcaps have not entirely disappeared from vehicles, but their prevalence has dwindled over the years.

In the early 2000s, many car manufacturers began to favor alloy wheels and larger rims, which often do not require hubcaps.

By the late 2010s many new cars, typically came with alloy wheels as standard, and hubcaps were more commonly seen on older models or classic motors.

You might think hubcaps are just for show, but the truth is they have some hidden qualities.

There are many types of hubcap, but each serve an important function in keeping your wheels functioning properly. 

Protecting the wheel

Hubcaps act as a shield for the wheel.

They protect the tyres and the wheel fasteners from dirt and sharp, rocky debris from the road.

Without hubcaps, your vehicle could be susceptible to premature wear and tear, making flat tyres and damage to the brakes more likely.

Protecting the wheel bolts and nuts

Car experts always recommend keeping an eye on the lug nuts, making sure they’re in place and free from rusting.

Hubcaps are known to help keep the lug nuts in place and protect them from rust and corrosion. 

If you ever get a flat tyre, this will make it easier to change it efficiently, without having to change the entire wheel.

Improving the car’s appearance

Hubcaps have long been used as a decorative feature.

The right hubcap will be sure to enhance the look of your vehicle, as well as increase its resale value.

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Improving aerodynamics and fuel efficiency

As a driver we rarely think about the aerodynamics and how this can affect its fuel consumption.

If you’re looking to reduce your petrol spends then it’s worth noting that hubcaps can reduce wind resistance while you’re driving.

In turn this is proven to improve a vehicle’s aerodynamics, slashing your average fuel consumption.

Adding weight to the wheel

Mechanics will tell you hubcaps are worth their weight in gold.

That’s because a weighty wheel helps your car hold the road better, which you’ll be thankful for in wet and windy weather conditions.

Hubcaps can add extra weight to the wheel, which can significantly help keep the tire on the ground and reduce the overall vibration.

Will I be fined or fail my MOT if I don’t have hubcaps?

A car without hubcaps will not cause your vehicle to fail an MOT test.

Nor will a damaged hubcap, so long as it’s secured tightly with no sharp edges.

The MOT inspection manual states that you must not remove wheel hub caps for the test, and the tester will not do so if they remain on the vehicle. 

However, a vehicle can fail an MOT test if it has a dangerous or major fault, such as: a seriously damaged wheel rim, a damaged valve, missing wheel nuts, a damaged tyre sidewall, or a fractured wheel rim.

DONALD Trump is now the punters’ favourite to storm to victory in the US Election.

On the Betfair exchange, the Republican chief is on his shortest odds since the end of July.

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The Republican candidate is on his shortest odds since the end of July[/caption]

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Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is now out to 6/4, her biggest odds since accepting the nomination[/caption]

Kamala Harris is now out to 6/4, her biggest odds since accepting the Democrat nomination.

On Never Mind The Ballots, Top Republican Strategist, Erol Morkoc, declared “we’ve got this in the bag”.

More than £145m has been wagered on the Betfair Exchange US Election markets, with over £10m staked in the last seven days.

The majority of cash, £6.6m, is coming in favour of Trump.

Trump is now favourite to win in a number of key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia.

And the betting has tightened in Wisconsin, where it’s now neck and neck, and Michigan, where Harris, who is still the favourite, has seen her odds drift.

But the latest ABC poll puts the Democrat candidate ahead of her rival, 49% to 46%.

Betfair Spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “It’s been a monumental couple of weeks on the Betfair Exchange US election winner market, with the odds significantly shifting in favour of Donald Trump.

“The punters are piling in on Donald Trump. In the last two weeks alone, £14million has been wagered on this market, the vast majority of which has gone in favour of Donald Trump.

“It going to come down to the key swing states and he’s flipped Pennsylvania. If he wins Pennsylvania, North Carolina & Georgia, the race is over.”

He added: “All the momentum in the betting has been for the former President, and he is now as short as 4/6 to win a second term in the White House.

“We’ve even seen our Pennsylvania market shift in his favour, which would have a significant impact on the race if he was to win the Keystone State.

“We’re expecting plenty more money on the Betfair Exchange market as the race to the White House enters the final two weeks, and there’s no telling if the odds might shift again, but as things stand it is Trump who’s the punters’ firm favourite.”

Mr Morkoc and Democratic Strategist Laura Fink locked horns on Never Mind The Ballots today, as they debated just how set in stone the race is.

The Republicans Overseas chief insisted swathes of “shy Republicans” will show up to the polls on November 5, paving the way for a Trump victory.

Mr Morkoc said: “He’s got a commanding lead in each of the swing states.

“As far as polling goes, if the polls are tied people are afraid to say how they’ll vote.

“It’s not going to be an easy one, but I think we’ve got this in the bag.”

Hitting back, Ms Finkel accused the Republicans of exerting “wild hubris”.

She said: “This is a dead heat.

“I think the latest swing state polls show Harris ahead in four out of the seven swing states.

“I think some of this wild hubris is to the detriment of the Republican Party.”

BEN WHITE wants to set up his own dog walking business when he retires.

But for now, the Arsenal right-back is enjoying being let off the leash as the leader of Mikel Arteta’s hounds of hell, admitting: I love a big early tackle… let them know you’re there.

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White says his early days getting roughed up in the lower leagues gives him the edge as the Gunners’ instigator of aggression and alleged ‘dark arts’ against Prem opponents.

Having just turned 27, thoughts are already turning to what to do when he hangs his boots up.

He said: “I don’t want to be a pundit. I was thinking of being a dog walker, get a little van.”

Yet there is still plenty of life in the ‘old’ dog yet as a key cog in Arteta’s title-chasing side – whether it is being a nuisance at set-pieces or getting physical with opposition wingers.

As a 19-year-old, White learned his trade on loan from Brighton at Newport County in League Two in 2017/18 before heading to Peterborough United in League One in 2018/19.

And asked what he loves most in a game, White said: “A big tackle. The first 15 minutes of a game, the first tackle on someone to let them know that’s all game you’re gonna get that.

“The old fashioned let them know you’re there.

“My best season was on loan at Newport. There are aspects of [lower league football] that come into the Premier League and I try and bring some of that.

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“There are not many players who have played in League Two and the Premier League.

“Even with the really good players we play against, they’re so good but sometimes you can get a bit of leverage [against them] by being aggressive.

“Trying to find any way to win and I will do that. I’m not the best one-v-one defender or the quickest or strongest but finding a way to win, that’s the best thing I have been able to learn.”

White was dropped by Southampton as a 16-year-old, admitting he was “too tall, gangly, couldn’t run” before being picked up the Seagulls shortly after in 2014.

And he was also given a wake-up call by managerial great Marcelo Bielsa while on loan at Leeds United in 2019/20 – a campaign where the Yorkshire club earned Prem promotion.

White explained: “When I first went to Leeds, someone tells me I’m in the U23s changing room. I stayed in there for five or six weeks.

“The first training session I had, [Bielsa] didn’t speak any English, someone would interpret it, and he said I was too slow, not agile enough and not mentally quick enough.

“And then he just walked off, and didn’t speak to me again for months, but when he says something, you do it. For him to say that to me, you’re not at the highest level…

“But I had that in my mind that I would wait it out and I would be okay. I ended up playing every minute that season.

“I have never done as much work in training than at Leeds, it was four hours every day, double sessions, sleep at the training ground. The runs we had to do were horrendous.”

Following his £50m switch from Brighton to Arsenal in July 2021, White has become a mainstay in Arteta’s now famed back four – one that conceded just 29 Prem goals last term.

But White is comfortable for the spotlight to rest on others, including keeper David Raya and centre-back pairing William Saliba and Gabriel, the latter scoring 16 goals – more than any other defender since the Brazilian joined in September 2020.

White said: “Saliba is absolutely incredible. Nothing I could say is a weakness.

“In training you see glimpses of how good he is but in a game he’s a different level. He can just cruise in training. No one even tries [going past him] because there is no point.

“The threat [Gabriel] has in the box is scary. Every time you get a corner you kind of know you’re going to score, if the ball is in an alright area.”

INSIDE the incredible “luxury” Tesla with a private bedroom and dining area.

The £135k ($175k) CyberTrailer is an RV-style mobile home designed to hook up to Elon Musk‘s angular vehicle and allow up to five people to live off-grid.

Created by Santa Barbara firm Living Vehicle, the trailer can be transformed internal into six configurations depending on need.

The main living area transitions to a private bedroom and bunk room for four adults and a child.

It can also be set up as an entertainment space with recliners and a theatre system or converted into a toy-hauler garage for electric bikes and other equipment.

The space also features a dining area for five and a mobile office for two, complete with Starlink internet, allowing remote work from anywhere.

At the rear of the trailer is a folding patio and a full solar awning covering the entire patio, simultaneously offering shade and energy capture.

The patio doubles as a ramp for convenient toy-hauler functionality, making it easy to travel with electric bikes, off-road vehicles, surfboards, kayaks, and other adventure gear.

Off-grid living is enabled through self-sufficiency systems including solar power, atmospheric water generation technology, and advanced water recycling.

Matthew Hofmann, Living Vehicle CEO, said: “The CyberTrailer isn’t just about going off-grid; it’s about bringing everything that defines your journey – bikes, boards, kayaks, and more.”

“Because when you’re fully equipped, there are no limits to where your passions can take you.”

Living Vehicle say the CyberTrailer price starts from £135k ($175k), with production expected to begin in 2025.

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